Transformers: Difference between revisions

The ''Transformers'' franchise has known the following incarnations in [[Western Animation|television]], [[Anime]], [[Film]], and comics:

 

 

=== Generation 1 continuity family ===

* [[Transformers Generation 1]] premiered in 1984. It involved Autobots and Decepticons crashing on prehistoric Earth and remaining in stasis until they were revived by an erupting volcano in 1984. To blend in with their surroundings, they took on the forms of common Earth vehicles and other machines. It consisted of:

** [[The Transformers (animation)|A cartoon]], running from 1984 to 1987

** [[Transformers Generation One Dreamwave|Transformers: Generation One]], a [[Revival]] published by Dreamwave between 2002 and 2004

** A comic published by IDW, published since 2006. Notable stories include:

* ''[[Transformers Timelines]]'' is the label which many of Fun Publications' Transformers stories are put under.

* [[Transformers Classics]] is a splinter timeline to the original Transformers Marvel comic in which the events of Generation 2 and some other stories did not occur.

* [[Transformers: Shattered Glass]] takes place in a [[Mirror Universe]] where the Autobots are evil and the Decepticons are good; Optimus is a megalomaniac, Starscream is a loyal officer, Ravage is the embodiment of [[LOLcats]], etc.

=== Aligned Universe ===

* The [[Transformers Aligned Universe]] is meant to establish a definitive multi-medium continuity for Transformers by [[Adaptation Distillation|cherry-picking the best aspects of past iterations of the franchise]], the continuity line was launched in 2010 with the video game ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' and the corresponding ''Exodus'' book. The intention behind this set-up is to create a longer-lasting [[Alternate Continuity]] than the frequent [[Continuity Reboot|reboots]] every few years in the 2000's.

** [[Transformers Exodus]] is partly a [[Novelisation]] of ''War for Cybertron'' and partly a [[All There in the Manual|manual]] further explaining the backstory. Although it contradicts both the game and itself on a number of occasions, which leads to the majority of [[Continuity Snarl|Continuity Snarls]] within this new franchise (Starscream was stated to be a dedicated scientist only for it to later state that he wasn't ever a scientist).

* [[Transformers Prime]] is a new cartoon, [[All CGI Cartoon|animated in CGI]], that premiered November 2010 on Hasbro's new Hub network. The designs are strongly influenced by the complex [[Transformers Film Series]] look while retaining the more stylised approach of ''[[Transformers Animated]]''. The overall series appears to aim for much of the same tone as the films, complete with the movie writers taking on roles as Executive Producers. [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Frank Welker]] have been cast as Optimus Prime and Megatron, making it the first Transformers series in which the two have reprised their roles together.

** [[Transformers Universe]] is a video game largely based on this series.

* [[The Collector of the Strange]]: Autobot Pipes collects interesting human knick-knacks.

** Also, in ''Cybertron'', Shortround collects...Transformers toys. The "grails" of his collection? Generation 2 Defensor and Menasor. {{spoiler|Two toys whose real-world counterparts were never produced (or at least never mass-produced) in full.}}

** The symbols themselves also qualify, seeming to indicate good/evil alignment; the Autobots' insignia is traditionally red and the Decepticons' traditionally purple; in the mirror universe called "Shattered Glass", populated by evil Autobots and heroic Decepticons, the Autobot insignia is purple and the Decepticon insignia is red.

* [[Combining Mecha]]: The combiners, such as the Constructicons, Aerialbots, Stunticons, Destruction Team, etc.

* [[I Know Kung Faux]]: Occurs fairly often throughout the various ''Transformers'' lines, most notably with Metallikato, Crystalocution, and Circuit-su.

* [[Insistent Terminology]]: Despite being ''Transform''ers, the instructions never tell you how to "transform" them; instead they tell you how to "convert" them to robots, vehicles, beasts, etc. [[Writing Around Trademarks|This is because if they used the term "transform" so informally, the franchise name would be considered descriptive and would be impossible to defend legally as a trademark.]] This has not, however, stopped them from making Optimus's [[Catch Phrase]], "Transform, and roll out!"

* [[Intro Dump]]

* [[Just a Machine]]

[[Category:The Nineties]]

[[Category:The Renaissance Age of Animation]]

[[Category:Turn of the Millennium/Western Animation]]

[[Category:The Eighties]]

[[Category:Western Animation]]

[[Category:index]]

[[Category:Franchises]]